Southern California -- this just in

Rail service at Union Station temporarily halted

January 14, 2010 | 1:59
pm

All Metrolink and Amtrak train service in and out of Union Station was put on hold for about an hour this afternoon because of structural problems at the Cesar Chavez Avenue underpass, authorities said.

“There was a piece of debris that fell from the Cesar Chavez Avenue underpass,” said Metrolink spokesperson Angie Starr. “Everything was stopped in and out of Union Station.”

City and Metrolink engineers rushed to the underpass to evaluate its integrity, and Metrolink announced at 1:15 p.m. that all but two of the eight tracks passing over the street were reopened. The two tracks that remained closed, numbers 7 and 8, are most used by trains in and out of San Bernardino and Orange counties.

Starr said there will likely be continued delays for some commuters throughout the afternoon and that Metrolink was making plans on how to best use alternate tracks in case those two tracks remained closed into the evening.

Metro Gold Line service was also put on hold when the debris fell but has since reopened.